Long term exposure to hydrogen gas will cause hydrogen embrittlement of carbon steel. This invention describes a method to mitigate hydrogen embrittlement in high pressure storage well components. For the purpose of this invention high pressure shall be defined as pressure greater than 800 psig.
The storage of hydrogen in caverns, whether leached in salt formations or created by hard rock mining, or other storage media such as in aquifers and depleted petroleum reservoirs, will result in the embrittlement of carbon steel components. Carbon steel component will then fail resulting in uncontrolled release of high pressure hydrogen gas. There exists a need in the industry for specific materials of construction that allow the safe, long term operation of high pressure hydrogen storage.